Tsodilo Hills | Discovering One of Botswana’s Most Remarkable Ancient Landscapes
When most people think of Botswana, their minds immediately turn to the Okavango Delta, elephants along the Chobe River, lions on the open plains and the extraordinary wildlife of the country’s northern wilderness areas. And understandably so.
Botswana is one of Africa’s great safari destinations. But having travelled extensively through the country over many years, I have always believed that some of its most fascinating places are those that reveal another side of Botswana altogether. Tsodilo Hills is one of those places.
Rising unexpectedly from the otherwise flat landscape of north-western Botswana, not far from the Namibian border, Tsodilo Hills feels almost out of place. Four rocky hills dominate the surrounding Kalahari, visible from a considerable distance as you approach them. But it is not simply the landscape that makes Tsodilo remarkable.
These hills have been occupied, visited and revered by people for thousands of years. Scattered among the rocks are thousands of ancient rock paintings, archaeological sites and traces of human activity that have made Tsodilo one of the most important cultural landscapes in southern Africa.
In 2001, Tsodilo was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
More than just a stop on the map
One of the things I enjoy most about travelling through Botswana is how dramatically the country changes once you leave the better known safari routes.
The journey towards Tsodilo takes you into a very different Botswana from the waterways and floodplains of the Okavango Delta.
The landscape becomes increasingly dry and expansive. Settlements become fewer. Distances feel larger. Then, almost without warning, these enormous rocky formations begin appearing on the horizon. For a country that is predominantly flat, the sight is striking.
There are four principal hills at Tsodilo. The largest is traditionally known as the Male Hill, while another is known as the Female Hill. The smaller formations are commonly referred to as the Child Hill and an unnamed fourth hill.
Male Hill rises to around 1,400 metres above sea level and represents the highest point in Botswana.
Standing beneath these hills, surrounded by the vast Kalahari landscape, it is easy to understand why people have regarded this place as significant for generations.
Thousands of Years of Human History
Tsodilo is sometimes described as the “Louvre of the Desert”, and when you begin exploring the rock shelters and paintings, it becomes obvious why.
There are more than 4,500 recorded rock paintings spread across hundreds of sites in the hills. Some are immediately recognisable.
You may see giraffes, rhinos, antelope, penguins and other animals painted onto the rock. Elsewhere there are human figures, geometric patterns and images whose meaning is much harder for us to interpret today.
Not all the paintings were created by the same people or during the same period. The artwork represents different traditions and generations of people who used these hills over an immense period of time.
Archaeological evidence indicates human activity in the Tsodilo area stretching back tens of thousands of years. That is something worth thinking about as you walk through the hills.
Long before modern borders existed, long before Botswana became a country and long before any of the towns and roads we know today appeared, people were already gathering beneath these rocks. They hunted here. They found shelter here. They performed ceremonies here. And they left their stories on the walls.
A Living Cultural Landscape
What makes Tsodilo particularly interesting is that its significance is not purely archaeological.
For local San communities, as well as Hambukushu communities in the region, the hills have deep cultural and spiritual importance.
Stories and traditions connected with Tsodilo have been passed from generation to generation.
This is why I think it is important not to approach Tsodilo simply as an outdoor museum filled with ancient paintings. It is a living cultural landscape.
Travelling with a local guide adds enormously to the experience. A guide can point out paintings that you would almost certainly walk straight past and explain some of the stories, traditions and interpretations associated with different sites. Without that context, you see paintings on rocks.
With it, you begin to understand something about the people who have been connected with this landscape for generations.
Exploring Tsodilo on Foot
There are several walking trails through the hills, varying in length and difficulty.
This is not an experience where you arrive, take a photograph and leave. Tsodilo rewards time.
Walking through the rocky landscape allows you to discover sheltered overhangs, viewpoints and rock-art sites hidden among the hills. Depending on the route, there can be some climbing involved, and Botswana's heat should never be underestimated.
I would always recommend starting early in the morning, particularly during the hotter months.
Good walking shoes, a hat, sunscreen and plenty of drinking water are essential. But the effort is worthwhile.
From higher points on the trails, the views across the surrounding landscape are magnificent. The Kalahari seems to stretch endlessly towards the horizon, interrupted only by bush, sand and distant tracks.
There is also something wonderfully quiet about Tsodilo.
You are a long way from the safari vehicles gathering around a lion sighting or the boats moving through the channels of the Okavango. Here, the experience is slower. You walk. You look. And you listen.
When Is the Best Time to Visit Tsodilo Hills?
From a weather perspective, I would choose the cooler, dry months from May to August. Daytime conditions are generally much more comfortable for walking and exploring the hills, while mornings and evenings can actually become quite cool, particularly in June and July.
From around September the temperatures begin climbing, with October often bringing intense heat before the summer rains arrive. The warmer months from roughly November through March can also bring thunderstorms and rain, although the surrounding landscape becomes greener and has a completely different character at this time of year.
Tsodilo can therefore be visited throughout the year, but if walking the trails and spending several hours exploring the rock-art sites is an important part of your visit, May through August would be my preferred period. Regardless of the season, starting your walk early in the day is a good idea.
Why Tsodilo Belongs on a Botswana Itinerary
I have always felt that the best journeys through Africa combine different experiences.
Wildlife is obviously a huge part of travelling through Botswana. Few places in the world can compete with the Okavango Delta, Chobe, Moremi and the country's other wilderness areas. But Botswana is more than wildlife.
Including somewhere such as Tsodilo Hills adds another dimension to a journey.
It connects you with the human history of the region and reminds you that people have lived alongside these landscapes and animals for thousands of years.
Tsodilo also works particularly well for travellers exploring Botswana by road.
It can be incorporated into a broader journey through north-western Botswana and combined with destinations around the Okavango region. For adventurous travellers, it is precisely the kind of place that makes an African road trip memorable, the places between the famous destinations often become as interesting as the destinations themselves.
Two UNESCO World Heritage Sites in One Remarkable Corner of Botswana
What makes this part of Botswana even more remarkable is that it is home to two UNESCO World Heritage Sites — Tsodilo Hills and the Okavango Delta. Few journeys allow you to experience two such internationally significant landscapes within the same region, yet with stories that could hardly be more different.
The Okavango Delta represents one of Africa’s greatest natural wildernesses, while Tsodilo tells a story of ancient cultures and thousands of years of human connection with the land. Together, they offer a wonderful reminder that Botswana is about far more than its extraordinary wildlife.
Botswana Beyond the Safari
One of the messages we constantly try to share through our travels is that Africa should never be reduced to a checklist. The same applies to Botswana.
Yes, come to see the elephants. Experience the Okavango Delta. Spend time watching lions, wild dogs and leopards. Sit beside a waterhole as the sun disappears over the bush. Those experiences are extraordinary.
But also take the time to discover the landscapes, communities, different cultures and history that exist beyond the traditional safari circuit. Tsodilo Hills is a wonderful example of this.
Here, in a remote corner of Botswana, four rocky hills rise from the Kalahari carrying evidence of human lives stretching back thousands of years. The paintings may be small. Some are faded and easily missed. But the story they tell is enormous.
And for me, that is what makes Tsodilo Hills one of Botswana's most fascinating places to visit.
If this article has inspired you to experience Africa for yourself, Lux & Track Africa can help you create a journey designed around the landscapes, wildlife, culture and experiences that interest you most. Whether you prefer a privately tailored itinerary, travelling independently with our support, or joining one of our personally hosted small-group tours, get in touch with us and let us help you plan your African journey.
- Duncan Udawatta